Improvement in chronometer-regulators.



G. NEWTON. CHRONOMETER-REGULATORS.

No. 194,105, Patented Aug. 14,1877.

Witnesses.- Invenhnw N- PETERS. PHUYO-UTRQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C.

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE NEWTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHRONOMETER-REGULATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.194, [05, dated August 14, 1877; application filed July 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE NEWTON, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ohronometers, of Which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to prevent changes in the humidity of the atmosphere from affecting the accuracy of time keepers; and to this end the invention consists in connecting a material which expands and contracts under slight changes in the humidity of the surrounding air with the hair-spring or pendulum in such manner as to control the time required for its vibration, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Compensating devices of great accuracy and sensitiveness have been hitherto devised to overcome the effect of changes of temperature; but, so far as I am aware, no provision has been made against the effect of the changes in the degree of moisture contained in the atmosphere, although it is known that, as the moisture increases, an increased resistance is ofl'ered to the movement of the mechanism, and the beat of the balance or pendulum thereby retarded. This fact is especially noticeable in connection with the chronometers of seagoing vessels, which are subjected to sudden and extreme changes by the humidity of the air, causing often an inaccuracy of time, attended with great danger to the mariner.

My invention is designed, in connection with the ordinary compensations for variable temperatures, to secure a uniform movement of the mechanism and an accurate indication of the time under all circumstances.

In carrying out my invention I make use of wood, leather, cork, or any other substance or composition which will contract and expand as the humidity of the surrounding air changes, and apply the same, either directly or in connection with intermediate devices, in such manner that it will lengthen and shorten the hair-spring or pendulum, and thereby determine the time required for the beat or vi bration of the same, the arrangement being such that the expansion of the material shortens the spring or pendulum, and vice versa. As the humidity of the air increases it tends to decrease the speed of the balance or pendulum, but, at the same time, the increased humidity expands my compensating materia, and causes it to shorten the spring or pend lum, whereby the latter is given a tendency t increase its speed just sufficient to enable it t continue its regular speed, notwithstandin the increased resistance of the air. Whe the humidity of the air is diminished it ofi'er less resistance, and the mechanism has a tend ency to increase its speed, but the contract tion of the material introduced causes an elonl gation sufficient to compensate for and coun teract said tendency, and thus prevents any variation in the speed. j In the accompanying drawings I have represented various embodiments of my inven-; tion; but it is obvious that any other suitable; arrangement of parts may be adopted, pro-; vided the material susceptible to the influ-i ence of moisture is arranged to control the} length of time of the beats or vibrations of;

the balance or pendulum, or the speed of such? 7 V I other device as may be used to govern the; speed of the mechanism.

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are face views, show- 3 ing my arrangement applied to hair springs in difi'erent ways 5 Fig. 5, a view showing the invention as applied to a pendulum.

In Fig. 1 the hair-spring A is secured at its outer end firmly to the rigid pillar or plate 0, i to which latter there is also secured the block of wood or other expansive material a, the outer end of which the plate upon the spring,

ency to vibrate in a greater or less time.

In Fig. 2 the hair-spring has its end secured rigidly to the pillar c, and the expansive material a, composed of two strips of wood glued together, the lower one with its grain running transversely to that of the other, is secured to a fixed support, d. The moisture of the atmosphere, expanding the lower strip, causes it to bend the upper strip upward against the side of the hairspring, the operating length of which is thereby lessened.

In Fig. 3 the spring is secured at its end rigidly to the fixed pillar c, and the expansive has attached to it a plate, b, through which the spring passes, as shown. As the block a expands and contracts it moves and thereby increases or diminishes the length of the operative portion of the latter, and gives it a tendmaterial a mounted on a fixed support, d, and 2. The combination, substantially as dearranged to expand directly against. the side scribed andshown, of a block or strip of wood of the spring. or equivalent material, a, with the hair-spring In Fig. 4 the expansive material is fixed or pendulum of a time-keeper, for the purpose at one end, and connected at the other to a set forth. pivoted arm, g, which it forces against the 3. The combination of the hairspring or spring. pendulum'of a chronometer and a material In Fig. 5 the pendulum, passing upward bewhich expands under the influence of moisttween two fixed points or arms, m, and through me, the latter varranged to govern, directly the expansive material a, is sustained by a or indirectly, the action of the former, subuut resting on said material. The expansion j stantially as described. of the material, raising the nut, draws the 4. In achronometer, a material which expendulum upward, shorteningits leugthbelow pands and contracts-under the changing huthe points'or arms, and thereby giving it a midity of the atmosphere applied to countertendency to quicken its vibration. act the effect of such changes on the speed of I Having thus described my invention, what of the mechanism, substantially as described,

claimisy I for the purpose of securing a regular mi- 1. Ina chronometer, a compensation to changeable speed of the mechanism at all overcome the efl'ect of changes in the humidtimes. ity of the atmosphere, consisting of a material which expands and contracts under the Y GEORGE NEWTON. changes of-humidity, arranged to lengthen Y and shorten, automatically, the hair-spring or Witnesses: pendulum, substantially as described and JAS. BARWIOK,J1., shown. Tnoms GLYNN. 

